Stationery fastener assembly

ABSTRACT

A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a folder or other stationery carrier comprising a backing sheet attached to the folder or carrier and a resilient clip attached to the top edge of the backing sheet, the clip having a front portion overlying the face of the backing sheet characterized by a pair of generally parallel, spaced apart legs extending downwardly from the top of the sheet and connected at their opposite ends by an integral spacing leg, the rear portion of the clip comprising a pair of legs extending downwardly from the top edge of the backing sheet, the front portion of the clip being resiliently engaged to the front face of the backing sheet, and a frictional surface on the face of the backing sheet in close proximity to the front portion of the clip.

United States Patent [151 3,660,870 Murphy 5] May 9, 1972 [541 STATIONERY FASTENER ASSEMBLY 1,102,922 7/1914; Hofi'man ....24/s1 PC [72] Inventor: Harold F. M rphy, 46 Monmouth Parkv way, Monmouth Beach, NJ. 07750 g [22] Filed: Dec. 9, 1970 Primary Examiner-Donald A. Griffin 2l 1 pp No: 96,551 Attorney-Popper, BEIII'LIBObIS & Giltillian [57] ABSTRACT (3|. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a folder or other stationery carrier comprising a backing sheet attached to the [58] g g g i' 'i g g 5 g h% 2 folder or carrier and a resilient clip attached to the top edge of 67 6 the backing sheet, the clip having a front portion overlying the face of the backing sheet characterized by a pair of generally parallel, spaced apart legs extending downwardly from the top [56] References Cited of the sheet and connected at their opposite ends by an inj- STATES PATENTS tegral spacing leg, the rear portion of the clip comprising a pair of legs extending downwardly from the top edge of the 2,008,019 l HorhC-k backing sheet the front portidn of the being resiliently en- 907,615 12/1908 Manning IO-UX gaged to the front face of the backing sheet, and a frictional 1,999,633 4/ Greenhood AR UX surface on the face of the backing sheet in close proximity to 703,485 7/ I 902 Shedlock ..24/26l PC the m portion f h' u 749,429 l/l904 Dusinberre 24/261 PC 1,099,698 6/l9l4 Glotfelty ..24/8l PC 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures /3 20 22 2 3 2 l4 l5 I STATIONERY FASTENER ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In the stationery arts, there are many letter folders provided with means for attaching letters or other papers to the folder. Some of the securing means require the punching of holes through the letters through which the fastening means extend. However, a letter cannot be removed from the folder unless the fastening means are opened and the letter detached therefrom which is time consuming and frequently results in damage to the letter.

Other fastening means are in the nature of a spring-loaded clip such as employed in clip boards and the like. However, spring board clips are bulky and costly. Files employing spring board clips cannot be easily stacked because of the bulk of the clip. The use of a mere paper clip attached to the top edge of the folder provides too insecure an attachment. A single paper clip tends to permit the papers to rotate sidewardly resulting in detachment and sometimes damage to the papers.

Therefore, it is among the objects and advantages of the present invention to provide a stationery fastener assembly which may be applied either during manufacture or thereafter to an ordinary stationery folder having a simple and inexpensive construction yet insuring against accidental rotation and consequential disengagement of letters from beneath the clip.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stationery fastener assembly as aforesaid in which the clip for securing the letters to the folder is attached to a backing sheet which is in turn attached to the folder. The backing sheet is provided with a frictional surface in close proximity to the clip and preferably beneath at least a portion of the clip.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a stationery fastener assembly as aforesaid in which the stationery clip is characterized by a pair of spaced apart legs extending downwardly from the top edge of the backing sheet and joined together at their opposite ends, by a spacing bar, the legs and spacing bar overlying the face of the backing sheet and being resiliently engaged thereto.

Yet still a further object of the present invention is to provide a stationery fastener assembly as aforesaid in which the spaced apart legs of the clip are formed with a pair of inwardly disposed arms overlying the top of the backing sheet and formed integrally with a member which extends from the top edge of the backing sheet downwardly lying between the backing sheet and the folder to which it is attached.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION A stationery fastener assembly comprising a flat, relatively thin backing sheet attachable to a stationery carrier, a resilient clip attached to the backing sheet at its top edge, a pair of generally parallel spaced apart legs on the clip extending downwardly along the front edge of the backing sheet from the top edge thereof and joined together at their opposite ends by a spacing bar, an arm on the top end of each of the said spaced apart legs extending inwardly therefrom along the top edge of the backing sheet, a depending member on the clip formed on at least one of the said inwardly extending arms extending downwardly along the rear face of the backing sheet, the said spaced apart legs and spacing bar being resiliently engaged to the front face of the backing sheet, and a frictional surface on at least a portion of the front face of the backing sheet.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION The objects and advantages aforesaid as well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by the stationery fastener assembly disclosed herein a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlargedtop plan view of the stationery fastener assembly attached to a stationery folder which is cut away;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of a stationery folder to which the fastener assembly has been-secured and showing one sheet of stationery in broken lines;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of an alternate form of fastener assembly attached to a folder;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of still another alternate form of fastener assembly secured to a folder.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the stationery fastener assembly comprises a flat, relatively thin, generally rectangular backing sheet 11 which is attachable to one leaf l2 of'a stationery folder 13. While an ordinary stationery folder 13 has been shown and described, it is to be understood that the stationery fastener claimed herein could be applied to any stationery carrier of any character having a flat face.

The backing sheet 11 may be fabricated of any suitable, durable material such as plastic, heavy paper or cardboard, craft paper or the like. The backing sheet 11 may be secured to the leaf 12 of the folder 13 by any suitable means but preferably by an adhesive or glue applied to the rear of the backing sheet 1 l.

A resilient clip 14 is attached to the backing sheet II at its top edge 15. The resilient clip 14 comprises a pair of generally parallel, spaced apart legs 16 and 17 which extend downwardly from the top edge 15 of the backing sheet 11 and are joined together at their opposite ends by a spacing bar I8. Preferably, the legs 16 and 17 and the spacing bar 18 lie in the same plane for maximum resilient engagement to the front face 19 of the backing sheet 11.

The clip 14 is provided with a pair of inwardly extending arms 20 and 21 formed on the respective legs 16 and 17 and running along the top edge 15 of the backing sheet 11.

A pair of downwardly extending resilient members respectively 22 and 23 are formed on the inside ends of arms 20 and 21 respectively terminating in loops 24 and 25. The resilient members 22 and 23 and their terminal loops 24 and 25 lie along the rear face of the backing sheet 11. The resilient action of those portions of the clip 14 lying on the front face 19 of the backing sheet 11 and along the rear face thereof resiliently attach the clip 14 to the backing sheet 11.

The front face of the backing sheet 11 is provided with a frictional surface 26 which extends beneath at least a portion of the resilient clip 14. Optionally, for improved functional characteristics, the frontface 19 of the backing sheet 11 may be provided with a pair of upstanding ribs 28 and 29 which extend between the top edge 15 and bottom edge 30 of the backing sheet 11.

In operation, the backing sheet 11 may be attached to the leaf 12 of a folder 13 by means of the adhesive, glue or other fastener. Preferably, the backing sheet 11 should be positioned closer to the fold 31 of the folder 13 than to the opposite edge. Papers 32 are inserted between the clip 14 and the backing sheet 11 with the top edge of the papers 32 lying in close proximity to the arms 20 and 21 which run along the top edge 15 ofthe backing sheet 11.

The combination of the arms 20 and 21 and spaced apart legs 16 and 17 provide an engagement along the top edge 33 of the paper 32 equivalent to the width of the clip 14. This in turn provides two, well spaced apart engagement points on the top edge 33 of the paper 32 which tends to resist rotation of the paper 32 which would in turn tend to pry the paper loose from the clip 14. In addition, the frictional surface 26 holds the sheet 32 adjacent thereto against disengagement from beneath the clip by sliding along the face 19 of the backing sheet 11. Additional sheets above the bottom sheet tend to become frictionally engaged to each other. Thus, collectively all sheets attached under the clip 14 tend to resist disengagement.

By displacing the backing sheet 11 away from the center line of the leaf l2 closer to the fold 31, there is an enhanced resistance to rotational disengagement of the sheets 32 by eliminating to a large extent rotation in the direction of the fold 31. If the backing sheet 11 were disposed more nearly to the center of the leaf 12, the edges 34 of the sheets 32 adjacent tothe fold 31 could more easily fold outwardly permitting rotation in a counterclockwise direction as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Optionally, but for superior results, the backing sheet 11 may be provided with a pair of upstanding ribs 28 and 29 extending between the top edge 15 and the bottom edge 30. The ribs 28 and 29 are forced into firm engagement with the bottom sheet 32 by means of the resilient action of clip 14. These ribs 28 and 29 tend to resist rotational disengagement of the papers 32 while permitting intentional disengagement by means of withdrawing the papers downwardly from beneath the clip.

The clip 14 is sufficiently small to engage even the smallest of papers and yet provide superior grasping characteristics to securely hold large numbers of considerably larger sheets. Sheets may be withdrawn from beneath the clip selectively by grasping the bottom of the sheet and pulling downwardly in a direction diametrically opposite the arms and 21. In addition, the frictional engagement of both the upper sheets by means of the clip 14 and the lower sheets by means of the frictional surface 26 permit the withdrawal ofintermediate sheets without the disengagement of all sheets.

The configuration of the clip 14 and the cooperative characteristics of the frictional surface 26 insure against rotation of the sheets 13 which tend to generate a massive total disengagement of all papers by means ofa torsional action.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate form of folder assembly comprising a backing sheet 35 which is secured to a stationery element 36 such as a folder or the like. The backing sheet 35 may be provided with a rear surface of a pressure sensitive adhesive and a release paper for application to existing folders.

A clip 37 is secured to the backing sheet 35 having a top horizontal leg 38 extending generally along the top edge of the backing sheet 35 and a depending leg 39 formed thereon extending downwardly to a bend and an offset 40 which extends upwardly and away from the depending leg 39.

The clip 37 also has a depending leg 41 on the rear of the backing sheet 35 and a similar offset 42.

In addition, a frictional surface 43 is provided on the backing sheet 35 at least a portion of which extends beneath the clip 37.

A still further alternate form of fastener assembly is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein a clip 44 is secured to a backing sheet 45 which is in turn secured to a folder or some other suitable carrier 46 in the same general fashion as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The clip 44 has an elongated horizontal top member 47 extending along the top of the backing sheet 45 and then turning downwardly and toward itself in an offset arm 48. An upturned portion 49 is formed on the bottom of the oblique member 48 terminating in an offset member 50.

A mirror image of the depending portions of the clip 48, 49 and 50 are found on the rear of the backing sheet 45. As in the case of the forms shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a frictional surface 51 is provided on the backing sheet 45 beneath at least a portion ofthe clip 44.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising,

a. a flat, relatively thin backing sheet, b. a resilient clip attached to the backing sheet at its top edge, c. at least one leg on the clip extending along the front face of the backing sheet from the top edge thereof, d. an arm connected to the top end of the leg extending inwardly therefrom along the top edge of the backing sheet, a depending member on the clip formed on the said arm extending downwardly along the rear face of the backing sheet f. an offset member on the bottom of the leg extending generally in the direction of the depending member,

g. the said leg and offset member being resiliently engaged to the front face ofthe backing sheet, and

h. a frictional surface on at least a portion of the front face ofthe backing sheet.

2. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which,

b. there is a pair of generally parallel, spaced apart legs on the clip extending along the front face of the backing sheet from the top edge thereof and joined together at their opposite ends by a spacing bar, an arm on the top end of each of the spaced apart legs extending inwardly along the top edge of the backing sheet,

c. the depending member being formed on at least one of the said arms and extending downwardly along the rear face of the backing sheet,

(I. the offset member being the spacing bar and being resiliently engaged together with the spaced apart legs to the front face ofthe backing sheet.

3. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 2 in which b. at least a portion of the frictional surface extends beneath the spaced-apart legs and spacing bar.

4. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 2 and b. at least one raised rib on the front face of the backing sheet extending generally parallel to the spaced-apart legs.

5. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claims 2 and b. a stationery carrier,

c. the backing sheet being attached to the carrier.

6. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 5 in which b. the carrier is a folder,

c. the backing sheet is attached to one leaf of the folder in proximity to the top edge thereof on the side of the vertical midline of the leaf closest to the fold in the folder.

7. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 2 in which b. the angle between the said spaced-apart legs and the respective arms is approximately a a: a 

1. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising, a. a flat, relatively thin backing sheet, b. a resilient clip attached to the backing sheet at its top edge, c. at least one leg on the clip extending along the front face of the backing sheet from the top edge thereof, d. an arm connected to the top end of the leg extending inwardly therefrom along the top edge of the backing sheet, e. a depending member on the clip formed on the said arm extending downwardly along the rear face of the backing sheet, f. an offset member on the bottom of the leg extending generally in the direction of the depending member, g. the said leg and offset member being resiliently engaged to the front face of the backing sheet, and h. a frictional surface on at least a portion of the front face of the backing sheet.
 2. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which, b. there is a pair of generally parallel, spaced apart legs on the clip extending along the front face of the backing sheet from the top edge thereof and joined together at their opposite ends by a spacing bar, an arm on the top end of each of the spaced apart legs extending inwardly along the top edge of the backing sheet, c. the depending member being formed on at least one of the said arms and extending downwardly along the rear face of the backing sheet, d. the offset member being the spacing bar and being resiliently engaged together with the spaced apart legs to the front face of the backing sheet.
 3. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 2 in which b. at least a portion of the frictional surface extends beneath the spaced-apart legs and spacing bar.
 4. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 2 and b. at least one raised rib on the front face of the backing sheet extending generally parallel to the spaced-apart legs.
 5. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claims 2 and b. a stationery carrier, c. the backing sheet being attached to the carrier.
 6. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 5 in which b. the carrier is a folder, c. the backing sheet is attached to one leaf of the folder in proximity to the top edge thereof on the side of the vertical midline of the leaf closest to the fold in the folder.
 7. A stationery fastener assembly attachable to a stationery carrier comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 2 in which b. the angle between the said spaced-apart legs and the respective arms is approximately 90* . 